Influenza surging in Alberta, vaccine fatigue to blame: expert
Posted Dec 13, 2023 9:36 am.
Last Updated Dec 13, 2023 11:01 am.
Feeling a little under the weather lately?
New data out from the feds shows flu is more widespread in Alberta right now than anywhere else across Canada.
In a little over a month, there have been roughly 3,000 reported cases of influenza.
November alone saw 3,200 cases of COVID-19.
“The key is, right now, it’s not a single virus that’s in the community,” Dr. Craig Jenne, an infectious disease expert and professor at the University of Calgary, told CityNews. “Right now, we are seeing a number of respiratory viruses circulating and unfortunately, that means people can be infected by more than one — either at the same time — or we’re hearing stories of people recovering from one and then a couple weeks later, getting infected with something else.”
Read more: Albertans feeling vaccine fatigue, pharmacists
He says the severity of these illnesses don’t appear to be higher than in past years, but people are spending more time in the hospital, and he thinks one factor could be to blame.
“Our vaccine rates are actually the lowest they’ve been in nearly 12 years,” Jenne explained. “Right now those numbers are down noticeably — almost a third lower than what we had seen, for example in the peak right before and right after the emergence of COVID.
“So, vaccine numbers are down, fewer people in the community have that degree of protection, and as a result, we are seeing a larger number of people presenting in hospital.”
He says it’s hard to say when the peak for cases could be this year, but so far, it appears to be hitting harder and sooner.
“Vaccine-delivered protection being lower this year — it likely means we’ll see a few more people get sick before we get through the peak,” Jenne explained.
This is making for stress in the healthcare system, as doctors deal with a concoction of different bugs and illnesses.
